Pezold, Smith, Hirschmann & Selvaggio

What Pezold, Smith, Hirschmann & Selvaggio does

Pezold, Smith, Hirschmann & Selvaggio, LLC is a boutique transportation and logistics law firm founded in 1980 in the wake of motor carrier industry deregulation, originally as Augello, Pezold & Hirschmann, P.C., and headquartered in Huntington, New York with a second office in New Jersey. For more than 40 years the firm has represented shippers, motor carriers, third-party logistics providers, freight forwarders, and brokers in both transactional and litigation matters on a nationwide basis, with particular depth in freight undercharge defense (over 7,000 cases handled), cargo loss and damage claims, admiralty and maritime matters, subrogation recovery, and licensing and registration before the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The practice is supported by a network of more than 80 co-counsel firms across the country and 130+ Joint Defense Groups established to coordinate defense of shippers against freight undercharge claims.

The firm operates as a traditional four-partner LLC — George Carl Pezold (senior member), Gerard F. Smith (managing partner of the New Jersey office), Thomas R. Hirschmann, and Raymond A. Selvaggio — with a headcount of 11-50 and 45+ years of continuous practice under the senior partner. Revenue is generated almost exclusively through hourly billing on professional services, with supplemental offerings in real estate transactions, estate planning and probate, wills and trusts, and general commercial litigation that serve the firm's core transportation clients' adjacent needs. Distribution is direct: clients engage the firm through consultations and matters are staffed from the two offices, with nationwide reach enabled by the co-counsel network rather than by branch expansion.

The firm's go-to-market relies on deep content and community positioning within the transportation industry: George Carl Pezold serves as Executive Director of the Transportation & Logistics Council, Executive Director/General Counsel of the Freight Users Association of New York, and General Counsel of The Traffic Club of New York, while authoring the multi-volume 'Transportation & Logistics Questions & Answers' series and 'Freight Claims in Plain English.' Enterprise client references include Wal-Mart, Target, Costco Wholesale, Sysco, Tyson Foods, Nestle USA, Hershey Foods, Lockheed Martin, Deere & Company, 7-Eleven, Kohl's, Kmart, and Alliant Foodservice. No external investors, funding rounds, or technology platforms support the practice, and the firm is privately held under a standard partnership LLC structure.

Name

Pezold, Smith, Hirschmann & Selvaggio

Legal name

Pezold, Smith, Hirschmann & Selvaggio, LLC

Website

https://transportlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pezold, Smith, Hirschmann & Selvaggio is a Huntington, New York-based boutique transportation and logistics law firm serving shippers, motor carriers, 3PLs, freight forwarders, and brokers nationwide through litigation, transactional work, and freight undercharge defense since 1980.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Hourly Billing: The firm charges hourly rates for legal services, including estate and probate matters. Probating a will does not have to be expensive; our firm charges hourly rates and not a percentage of the estate.
2. Transportation Law Services: Both transactional law (drafting and negotiating contracts, agreements) and litigation services are provided to clients nationwide in transportation and related matters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The firm provides transportation law representation for shippers, motor carriers, third-party logistics providers, freight forwarders, and brokers on a nationwide basis, delivering both transactional services (drafting and negotiating contracts, agreements, tariffs, and bills of lading) and litigation services (freight undercharge defense, cargo loss and damage claims, regulatory and admiralty matters). It also maintains a general practice covering real estate, estates and trusts, and commercial litigation.

Product overview

Pezold, Smith, Hirschmann & Selvaggio is a transportation law firm offering a comprehensive suite of legal services centered on transportation and logistics law, supplemented by general practice areas including real estate and estate planning. The firm's primary offerings include transportation law representation for shippers, carriers, freight forwarders, and brokers; freight undercharge defense services; cargo claims litigation; regulatory compliance for licensing and insurance; and educational seminars. The portfolio spans both transactional law (contract drafting and negotiation) and litigation services, supported by a nationwide network of over 80 co-counsel through 130+ Joint Defense Groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transportation Law Services Comprehensive transportation law representation for shippers, motor carriers, third-party logistics providers, freight forwarders, and brokers, including transactional and litigation services nationwide.
• Freight Undercharge Defense Defense services for shippers against freight undercharge claims by defunct motor carriers, leveraging over 130 Joint Defense Groups and a network of 80+ co-counsel across the country.
• Loss and Damage – Cargo Claims Legal representation for filing and collecting cargo claims involving carrier liability for loss or damage under federal and state laws, contracts of carriage, bills of lading, and tariffs.
• Licensing and Registration Legal assistance for motor carriers, freight forwarders, and transportation brokers obtaining operating authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
• Cargo Insurance Review and guidance on insurance products including motor carrier cargo legal liability, ocean marine, inland marine, warehouse, and broker contingent cargo insurance.
• Freight Charges Legal representation in disputes involving liability for freight charges, overcharges, undercharges, surcharges, and accessorial charges, including bankruptcy matters.
• Bills of Lading and Tariffs Legal services related to contracts of carriage, bill of lading preparation, and tariff terms and conditions.
• Ocean Carrier Service Contracts; NVOCC Service Arrangements Legal assistance for importers and exporters negotiating Service Contracts with ocean carriers or NVOCC Service Arrangements subject to FMC regulations.
• 3PL's and Outsourcing Legal services for outsourcing transportation, warehousing, and distribution functions, including selection of third-party logistics providers and contractual agreements.
• Freight Audit and Payment Services Legal guidance on freight audit and payment services, including safeguards against potential problems like double payment liability.

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Transportation & Logistics Council, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe firm represents the Transportation & Logistics Council, Inc. (formerly Transportation Consumer Protection Council, Inc.). George Carl Pezold serves as Executive Director. The firm provides legal representation and support for this industry organization.
• Freight Users Association of New York, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe firm represents the Freight Users Association of New York, Inc. George Carl Pezold serves as Executive Director/General Counsel. The firm provides legal representation and support for this industry organization.
• University of Denver Center for Transportation StudiesminorOthersAgreement reached between Surface Transportation Board and University of Denver's Center for Transportation Studies to provide a permanent home for the ICC's library. Agreement in principle to locate the National Transportation Library at the same site.
• Traffic Club of New York, Inc.minorOthersGeorge Carl Pezold serves as General Counsel for The Traffic Club of New York, Inc.
• Transportation Consumer Protection CouncilminorOthersNFTL contact address provided: Transportation Consumer Protection Council, 120 Main St., Huntington, NY 11743. The organization is involved in the National Freight Transportation Library initiative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pezold, Smith, Hirschmann & Selvaggio